


Bleak Beginnings

by DragonRose35



Series: The Heart of a Nightmare [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M, Multi, Nightmares, Original Character(s), Original Species, Original Story - Freeform, Work In Progress, mild descriptive violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-10-27 14:26:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20761841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonRose35/pseuds/DragonRose35
Summary: Neroka just wants to find his purpose in life, despising the same boring routine he had created living within the Tree of Dreams. Ahir doesn't understand why he yearns so much for more when he has the perfect life, safe and sound, away from the humans and their destructive lives.





	Bleak Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Alright so a little note: the chapters will be rather small. I am hoping that this will allow me to work better on this story, and provide you guys with many cliff-hanger filled updates~ *laughs*
> 
> Now, I am working on a reference picture for the main character, however, it may be a little while before it is finished. Yesterday I started working on it, but my computer crashed and I lost every bit of progress I had on it. *sighs* Yay Sai... *shakes head* I started redoing it today and have managed to work back to where I was before, but I've taken a small break now, and am probably going to play some Greedfall for a few hours, to be honest. *chuckles*
> 
> But I'll post the next update soon and hopefully with it, or the one after that, the finished artwork.
> 
> Until next time, my little doves~ *purrs* And as always, comments and Kudos are much appreciated~!
> 
> ~ D.C.

.1.

The Tree of Dreams is the home of every Nightmare found and ‘rescued’ by the Council of Nightmares and their apprentices. Nightmares that have not taken to watching the ones that gave them life, or that have not gone feral- Nightmares born of dreams too horrific to even remember. The stories say that it was the seed of the very first dream on Earth, and grew larger and larger with every dream since. It towers over other trees in a protected Redwood nature reserve, untouched for millions of years.

It is protected by a magic as old as time, able to change the size of all the Nightmares that come and go from the Tree of Dreams. But most care little about leaving it, knowing that nothing exciting waited for them outside in the world of the humans.

“Neroka…” Ahir- a Nightmare with pure white fur, blue eyes, silver hooves, large white dragon horns curled around thin rabbit-like ears, and a long sleek silver equine tail- sighed softly as he watched the young Nightmare try to sneak towards the gates leading to the world of the humans, his tail curled around a basket handle that no doubt contained art supplies. “Where do you think  _ you’re _ going?”

Neroka let out a frustrated huff, grimacing at the fact that he’d been caught and he turned to look at the white Nightmare approaching him, prismatic eyes narrowed, but glittering. “I’m going out in the human world. To paint.”

“You mean to make graffiti,” Ahir snorted, shaking his head and Neroka frowned, ears pinned back.

“My  _ art _ is not graffiti, Ahir.” He pawed at the wood beneath his hooves, tail curling tighter around the basket. “It is a story painted where thousands of living things can see it when they pass by in their daily lives: humans, nightmares, and animals, all.”

“The  _ humans _ don’t see it that way, and animals don’t care about ‘art’,” Ahir pointed out. Neroka wrinkled his nose, slightly annoyed, one ear twitching lightly.

“That was one time… I picked a bad spot, that’s all. And animals  _ do _ care about art, you just don’t see it.” Turning away, he started walking back towards the gate, tail swaying slowly from side to side as Ahir watched him go, before the white furred Nightmare sighed and followed him.

When they reached the gate, the guards stopped them; two beautiful dark furred Nightmares with identical features save for their horns- one with straight sharp horns between his small doe-like ears and the other with two sets of gnarled curled dragon horns between his own ears- and wings- the one with gnarled horns sporting great large leather wings upon his back and the other with soft feathered, small crow wings upon his own- the rare case of twin Nightmares.

“Hold,” the one with the crow wings spoke, dark eyes flitting towards the gate. “Traffic is high at the moment. You need to wait before you can cross through the gates.”

Neroka’s nose wrinkled at this, before he sighed, sitting down as he waited for the go ahead. He couldn’t fault them for doing their job, as much as he wanted to be out of the tree and into the world. For all that a Nightmare is invisible to the world, they are not invisible to objects of the human world like cars and buildings. Too many Nightmares they’ve lost to speeding cars in the forest and on the roads in busy cities.

“You may pass now,” the other guard spoke, voice startling Neroka from his thoughts and the little Nightmare immediately took the opportunity, darting through the gate and down into the world. The second he crossed through the threshold, his form changed, growing to a size far more suitable to the world of the humans.

Nightmares, originally, range between the size of a medium dog and a large one, but the Tree of Dreams allows them to use a smaller form- about the size of a finger- to safely live inside the tree and out of harm’s way of the world itself.

Neroka preferred the larger form to the smaller one.

“Alright, so where do you plan on  _ painting _ this time? On the wall of an abandoned church in a dead neighborhood? On a busy highway that  _ thousands _ of people will drive by and see an invisible creature painting a wall? Or the wall of a broken barn where the only possible witness is a stray cow or a random twister that will tear it apart?” Ahir questioned after following the other Nightmare and Neroka growled, ears pinned back once more as they walked through the great forest.

“I get it, Ahir… you don’t like me going out like this. But it’s not your say to keep me locked away in the tree for the rest of my miserable existence. I’ve already tried painting things on the tree, but the Council put an immediate stop to it, remember? I’m  _ useless _ inside the tree…” Neroka sighed, deflating as he dropped his gaze to the ground beneath their hooves. “And I’m getting restless. I haven’t been outside in weeks, Ahir… My tail  _ itches _ to paint again.”

Ahir fell silent then, as they walked, and the silence reigned for several long moments before he finally spoke. “Show me one of your paintings,” he requested and the brilliant smile on Neroka’s muzzle was worth everything in the world, as he immediately skipped towards a crystal pedestal located at the base of one of the Redwood trees surrounding the Tree of Dreams. Ahir barely had time to grab Neroka’s tail with his teeth before the younger Nightmare touched the crystal with his muzzle, activating it and transporting them to a different location in the world.

He didn’t know where they were, but he guessed it was a very populated city in the Americas. Neroka had transported them next to a large museum-like building that was built next to a road that traveled through the whole city. It wasn’t busy at the moment, but it wouldn’t be long before it was, as the humans would be getting off of school and work soon.

What Ahir noticed after their surroundings, however, was a large beautiful painting that had been done across one of the sides of the building. Of a strange, but gorgeous cliff overlooking a forest, with creatures he’d never seen before flying over the forest. And most noticeable to him was the lone Nightmare sitting atop the cliff, looking out over the painted world.  _ Neroka _ .

“It’s… beautiful,” Ahir murmured, walking closer to the painting, looking over every painted detail. “What is it?” he asked, turning to look back at the Nightmare behind him.

“It’s of a dream I once had,” Neroka answered with a smile and Ahir snorted, eyes narrowed.

“Neroka, Nightmares don’t  _ dream _ ,” he told him and the leopard-print Nightmare scowled at him, tail quivering.

“I  _ do _ ,” he huffed, puffing out his chest. “And I dream of a world full of magic and fantastical creatures and  _ Nightmares _ so different from you and I. Some with paws, or four eyes, or talons, or fish tails and no back legs…”

“That’s impossible,” Ahir shook his head, turning away from the painting to walk towards the path beside the road, making his way towards a nearby crystal. “Come on Neroka, let’s head back.”

“ _ No _ ,” Neroka growled, following the other. “I’m not going back Ahir. I’m going out to  _ paint _ , and you can’t stop me.”

“I can, and I will,” Ahir snapped at him. “You spend too much time with your head in the clouds, Neroka. You need to learn that magic doesn’t  _ exist _ .”

“But  _ we _ do,” Neroka huffed. “And we’re magical.”

“No, we aren’t,” Ahir growled. “We are born from dreams. Our origin is logical. There’s nothing  _ magical _ about it. There’s no logic in magic.”

“There’s no logic in you…” Neroka muttered pointlessly, shoulders deflating as he gave up the argument, knowing he wouldn’t win. Ahir always won their arguments.

After walking for several minutes, Neroka sighed, lifting his head as he looked out at the street, watching a few cars pass by. It wouldn’t be long before the road would be busy, cars constantly soaring past. He hated the machines, lifeless and dangerous. Damaging the world the humans care so little about.

He paused, frowning when he thought he heard something, ears perked up and alert. When Ahir noticed, he slowed to a stop, looking back at the other. “Neroka?”

“Sh…” Neroka stepped closer to the road. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Ahir frowned as he turned around, ears perked up as he tried to understand what Neroka was doing. It was then that they  _ both _ heard it. A pitiful mew as another car drove past and Neroka tensed up, sharp prismatic eyes spotting a little grey ball curled up on the road. Before Ahir could react, suddenly Neroka was darting across the road, towards the little kitten as a car was speeding towards the poor defenseless animal. “ _ Neroka _ !” Ahir shouted at him, horrified as he watched.

It all happened so quickly, as Neroka grabbed the kitten by the scruff, before tossing the poor creature into the grass on the other side of the road. He never saw the car before it struck him, as Neroka was thrown over the speeding car’s hood, landing painfully on the concrete below.

Ahir screamed at him, rushing over to his side when the road was clear, and he grabbed the Nightmare by his neck, dragging him off the road. “Stay with me Neroka… stay with me…” he choked out, eyes wide with fear as he looked at the state Neroka was in. Broken, bruised, and bloodied. “Neroka,  _ please _ …” Ahir didn’t even notice as the mewling kitten had gotten the attention of a mother cat. She grabbed her baby, sparing the duo a single look, before she disappeared beyond the tree line, taking her little kit with her and leaving them alone. “ _ Neroka _ …”


End file.
